Party time - Saturday was the day of the twins' swimming party. I'd spent the morning resting apart from taking AJ and Laura to the shore where there is a good play park and as the tide was out, they had a brill time looking for 'treasure' and throwing stones in the water and I sat in the car reading the Saturday Paper. The afternoon rushed by - not helped by the fact Laura wanted to do cheese and pineapple or grapes on sticks and it took much longer than I thought. Soon it was time to pack all the food etc into the car. Why do we always seem to be missing a pair of goggles??
25 children and various adults assembled in the rather small reception and 1 friend acted as present collector!! We couldn't take the food through to the party area as it was already in use but they allowed me and some mums to bring the food through to the staff waiting area!! It was interesting trying to balance the cheese on sticks stuck in a grapefruit in the car and getting it into the staff room!!
Pete and his brother went in plus 2 other mums and a Dad. 2 mums and myself stayed on the side of the pool and watched the fun and games of the children in the pool. We had hired the bouncy castle/slide thing in the water and big float mats. I think Pete and his brother enjoyed themselves the most - men never grow up and as Pete has said why should he!!!
Unfortunately, this meant that AJ's supervision was somewhat limited and he got landed on by some of the 10 year old boys and said he got stuck under a float on the other side of this giant float. Us watchers on the side couldn't see AJ but we knew a lifeguard was there. My friend was just going to go round to see if he was out when AJ crawled out the pool sobbing his heart out. I gave him a big cuddle and then he went back in with his Dad and eventually played with his friend who is the same age and his mum so he wasmuch happier and safer then. I was really impressed by how well AJ can swim now and he has no fear of leaping in the water or swimming under water. It is such a joy to watch!!
Eventually, we were able to get the food out on the tables and waited for the children to come out. There was an amazing time difference between the first child appearing and the last from the changing room. Probably about 15 minutes!!! The food got wolfed down and so did the drinks - I felt I should have done more food and then remembered that the pizzas wee still in the oven at home!!!! Luckily the oven was off or we may have come back to a very smokey kitchen!!! It went quite peacefully till the end when the boys particularly wanted a food fight but there was no food so empty cups went flying instead. I hadn't planned the birthday cake very well as it was a chocolate tray cake which became very sticky in the heat of the staff room!! OOps!!
The end of the party became very rushed as they wanted to close the leiasure centre and it all became very hectic in the end. Thanks to everybody who helped and all their presents, cards and money etc. I'm now trying to get themoff their nintendo DS lites and into thank you letter mode - what is the statistical odds of that happening without an argument???
We just got back and unpacked for Dr Who - AJ was scared of the human dalek and thought he looked like a squid so don't know how he will cope with the 2nd installment next week!! I think it will be head under blankie on dad's lap time!!
Sunday, some friends of ours came over for tea and cakes etc. They ended up having a sort of water fight and our male guest got rather wet!! Actually, he got wet twice - the first time he moved the metal pole holding the tennis ball on a string thing (will have to come back and edit this bit when I remember the correct name!!) and got rusty water all down his legs and the second time, he got wet when the children threw water over him. Hope the car dried out all right!!!!
Monday was, of course, the twins actual birthday and Woody got 89 bumps he told me. Apparently that is 10 bumps plus 1 for luck 8 times which is of course mathematically correct!!! Laura escaped this as it is now apparently 'only a boy thing.' They got more pressies and money and cards.
I remembered to go to the stadium to buy the football tickets and then had to go back after school so Woody could get his name and age put on the back of his new football shirt. It looks brilliant and it is now hung proudly in his bedroom.
Family and friends came over for birthday cake. We had a chocolate and a sponge cake and guess what mainly the girls ate - yep -the chocolate cake!!
It was a fun evening which I needed after finding out one of my friends was in hospital and had been for the last week because of her spread of her cancer. This did get me writing down some of my thoughts about my eventual funeral and my possessions and what I want to give to whom!! That is vry tricky as I don't want to force things on people but it sounds very morbid asking someone if they want to choose something. I don't know what the etiquette is in this and I don't want to offend people either. It's very tricky this dieing/dying (can't spell now) business!!!
I've got the TV on and it's Boy Bands on The Hits and very embarassingly I have to say, I've been enjoying it and had the volume right up. If there is something I don't like then I just switch over to E4+1 or TMF!! I've been having a good time boogying away while typing - an interesting combination don't you think so if this has more typos than usual then you know why!!! Ahh - it's now swapped to the Kasier Chiefs so I'm happy again.

Well, I think we are all glad Roverang is over!! It was a brilliant show especially the Saturday night where all the adult cast were all having great fun and there were lots of ad libs and funny bits. It was lovely to have sunday afternoon back though!!!
We went to a birthday picnic at Victoria Country Park. it was a lovly hot day and it was fun and relaxing and all the children played well together. The 3 yr old was very pleased with his Fireman Sam fire engine and figure so glad we got that right!!
Going backwards - Saturday was the day of the morris minor swap. Albert arrived on the back of a home made trailer which all the men were very impressed with and Joemog (well the skeleton) went off to a back garden to be further dismantled before being completely scrapped. albert is apparently a running car but since the steering wheel looks very old, the tyres balding and there is no drivers seat, this is hard to believe!! There is however, the passenger and back seats!! The rest of the car is in bits - another project in the land of Planet Pete then!!!
A man had arrived earlier in the day and had taken the seats away - it was a bit of a squeeze getting 2 front seats plus the back seats into a toyota but it fitted in the end!!
I had a bad time at John Lewis - we waited for 20 minutes and then a further 30 minutes before we were seen and then they had no shoes in Laura's size at all. However, once I burst into tears a pair of sandals that were her size magically appeared!!! I then booked to go to a photographers for us to have family pictures done and when asked why we wanted this done that made me burst into tears!! It was a very difficult situation.
The twins were tired and difficult to get up this week after all the late nights last week. On tuesday, I fell back to sleep after turning my alarm off and didn't wake up till 750am. Only AJ was awake and so it didn't occur to him to wake me and the twins up. Don't know how we got ready on time but we did!! I think the reason I slept so well was that a friend/neighbour did some massage/reiki on my painful shoulders and it did relax the spasm and it hasn't been so bad since. I don't understand how reiki works I just know I always benefit from it so that is all to the good as far as I'm concerned!!!
I had the CT scan on wednesday and met a friend for lunch and saw the hospice nurse so rather a busy day. I then fell asleep at 4pm and so Laura missed her recorder session - she hadn't wanted to go anyway!! I met 2 other women who are in the same position as me there and then I saw them again on thursday at the chemo clinic.
I got prelim results as it has not been reported on and basically it looks about the same as in September so not as good as January but at least it doesn't appear worse. I think that is as good as it is going to get. the onc I saw then thought I should not have stopped hercpetin so had to have a big loading dose. He reduced the xeloda to 1750 mg but as the tablets only come in 500mg and 150mg size, it means now taking 7 tablets twice a day!!!
I went out with Laura on thursay evening and again had a wait in John Lewis but we did get some school shoes for her and some of her birthday presents so that was good.
Today, I tried to get my hair straightened at 930am but there was no-one available until 1230 so went shopping and bought more pressies and more shoes. I took the high heeled green ones back toioday as I was too over optimistic that I could walk in them and I can't! So now I've bought some more green heeled (but not quite as high heeled) flip flops and some pink flat ones. However, I've ended up with blistered and sore feet from a combination of walking too far and the xeloda.
I met a friend and her mum for coffee and eventually got my hair straightened as tinight I'm going out for a friend's birthday at a fish restaurant.
To go back to the photos, they said to bring things that define us as a family - umm - that was hard -- arguing comes to mind but not much els!!!. Laura wants to take the guinea pig!! Pete and Woody - lego and morris minor models. AJ - spiderman or some other boy toy and me - well shoes and penguins I suppose.!!! How they will make a photo out of that selection I really don't know!!!
What do you associate us with ?? On second thoughts - perhaps, that is a question best left unanswered!!!

They say pride comes before a fall and that's what happened. just after I'd boasted how well I was doing taking the xeloda than I developed 'hand and foot' syndrome. This means that the soles and palms of your hands swell up and become red and very painful. My hands weren't too bad but after a visit to Hilliers Arboretum near Romsey for an Easter Egg Hunt, my feet really hurt. I thought it was just because I'd been walking in my trainers. It felt better then next day until I took the tablets and then it felt as if I was walking on hot coals or had really bad sunburn on the soles of my feet. I had to phone the help line and after a very long winded conversation with a nurse whose english left quite a bit to desire, a lovely doctor phoned me back who said to stop the tablets and take vitamin B6 until my feet felt better and they would review the dose on my next visit on 19th April. This seemed to work and by tuesday, my feet were only a little sore. Someone told me to take alphalinoeic acid to prevent this syndrome and now I wished I'd listened so have ordered some today and will give that whirl. My mouth has also been very sore. I ate some pineapple as that is supposed to help and lo and behold it did!! If you see me with a constant supply of pineapple then you know why and if you ever feel the need to offload some fresh or tinned pineapple in juice (not syrup!!) then you now know the place to send it!!!!
To go back to Easter - the children enjoyed hunting the easter eggs and have nearly ate them all. I believe in the getting rid of them quick philosophy rather than having a little bit over a few months. I managed to cook a duck and hubby managed to get enough meat off for 3 adults and Laura. I had to sit down a lot to do dinner and mum helped a lot or else I would never have managed.
Easter monday, the twins went to their Roverang dress rehearsal with their new big white knickers/pants and white socks for Laura and black socks for Woody. Apparently, they needed white underwear so that it didn't show under the theatre lights. I would have thought that white was the colour to avoid but nevere mind. It was a real trial to buy white knickers for Laura. Sainsburys didn't have any her size and poor hubby struggled in Tescos to buy white knickers and school trousers - it took him about an hour!!!
AJ went to a friends house for the afternoon so I could put my feet up. We went to a friends house for dinner that evening which was lovely and we were all very grateful.
Yesterday, we went to see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. There must have been about 15 of us in the big cinema and so why is it that I always get the child behind me who kicks the seat continually!! After my best Paddington stare, the mum got the hint and told her daughter to stop. The daughter was at least 9 so really should have been able to sit still I would have thought. Later on, the twins went to their first performance of their Roverang show. Laura is wearing silver and aqua blue lycra flared trousers and a very cropped top for the first half and then black leggings and a green top in the second half - so why the need for big white knickers is beyond me!!! Woody is dressed as a Teddy Boy in the first half - he had described to me that he was wearing a blue long coat like he did when he was dressed as a circus ring master. It didn't click what he meant until I saw him!!!! The second half, he is wearing a bright orange lycra close fitting top with black trousers. He is not impressed!!
They had a big supporting audience of Nan-Nan, Gramps, Grandma, Aunty and 3 cousins and myself. We were quite near the front but in the middle so had a good view. It was good fun with comedy sketches as well as the dance and song routines. It didn't finish until 1030pm so by the time we got home it was 11pm so very tired twins this morning. I'm so glad they are not doing the show for 5 nights as they would be too tired.
Thanks to everybody who has contacted me to say they have been reading my blog and for their support.

Well I've now managed the xeloda tablets for 10 days now and getting the hang of taking 10 tablets a day. It is difficult as you have to take them 12 hours apart and after food. I have found to my cost that it has to be a substantial amount of food or else I feel sick or have the runs. My daily tablet taking now involves swallowing the following
- omeprazole - a stomach protector tablet in the morning and sometimes in the evening
- 2 voltarol for pain
- 10 xeloda tablets
- 20mg amytyrptylline at night for nerve pain
- occasionally codeine for pain or the runs (upto 4 a day)
- domperidone (usually 2-4 a day) for sickness
- sulfracate - white sticky stuff for my sore mouth
- the occasional swig of morphine if pain really bad or my breathing is bad and I'm getting stressed about it.
When I went to stay with my mum last week I had a huge bag of tablets, and lotions and potions!! it had to be seen to be believed!!!
In Kent, we went to Howletts and Port Lympne Wildlife Parks. I loved the gorillas but not the smell. One male apparently does not like children and frightened Laura, Woody and their 12 yr old cousin by jumping towards them and banging on the bars and throwing hay which he'd sprayed on!! Horrific smell and I couldn't get rid of it!! We also saw a break dancing gorilla who loved to regugitate his food and eat it again - very repulsive!! One of my school friends treated us to Port Lympne so thank you so much - we had a great time and I don't think that woman on the safari bus will forget you saying 'oh I've dropped the maggots'!!! She bought food for the meercats and it contained live maggots and other dried food!!!
The children all went swimming - their 2 cousins and their mum. I stayed in and sewed. They got thrown out - a feat I've never managed. Aunty got out and left the 5 children and was going to call them in about 10 minutes when the lifeguard went upto AJ and asked him how old he was. He dutifully replied '6' and when asked if he had an adult with him, he replied she was in the changing room so they all had to get out!!
We also went to see Mr Bean goes on Holiday which was jsut about passable but the codeine probably skewed my opinion.
I also went to see a friend's parents who I hadn't seen for about 20 years. I don't think they have changed at all. Her dad did say he did recognise after a while but who can blame him when I havea poodilicious haircut. That same evening my friend and her daughter came round to see me at my mum's house. It was great and it was hard to believe we hadn't seen each other for about 20 years!!
Today, the twins and hubby went out for a bike ride with their cousins and uncle and I had a sleep while AJ and Grandma went to the library. Apparently, we have a book out called the 'Killer Gorilla'. Of Course, I have no recollection of it at all!!!
This evening, hubby and I have been the Easter Bunny and hiding all the eggs around the house. AJ was convinced he could see the Easter Bunny in the sky in his carrotmobile just before he went to bed - what a great imagination!!!!
I forgot to say why I used the word 'poodilicious'. Well, at long last, I got my christmas present from my eldest niece this week and it was a pink poodle photo holder. Somehow when we were MSNing each other today and we were discussing what photo I should put in, she suggested I use the most 'poodilicious' one so I think that is such a fab name for my hair when it has not been artificially straigthened that I will use it from now on!! It's a lot better/kinder than my hubby telling me I looked as if I had a tumbleweed on my head in a photo!!!
Off to bed and multiple tablet time again - think it must be doing something as my chest is not gurgling so much now - rather off putting having what sounds like a death rattle when you feel reasonably well!!
By the way - why did no-one text me to go for my blood test on the 27th March - am I the only 1 reading this blog????!!!